How new ways to prevent RSV are savings lives and money

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: How New Ways to Prevent RSV Are Saving Lives and Money
Release Date: May 26, 2025

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In this episode of the Marketplace Morning Report, host Sabri Bennesour delves into groundbreaking advancements in preventing Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and explores the broader implications for public health and the economy. Additionally, the episode addresses financial preparedness for retirement, highlighting strategies to tackle debt among older adults.

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1. Breakthroughs in RSV Prevention Save Lives and Reduce Healthcare Costs

Introduction to RSV and New Prevention Methods
At [01:03], Sabri Bennesour introduces the topic of RSV, emphasizing its severe impact on infants. He discusses two innovative prevention methods that have been deployed recently:

• Vaccination During Pregnancy: Mothers receive a vaccine that provides immunity to their unborn children.
• Antibody Administration to Newborns: Directly supplying antibodies to newborns to protect them from RSV.

Impact of New Interventions
A recent CDC study highlighted a significant decrease in RSV-related hospitalizations among infants due to these interventions. Natasha Halasa, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, comments at [01:38], “This is very, very good news,” underscoring the effectiveness of the new measures.

Reduction in Hospitalizations and Economic Benefits
Angela Bankston, a professor of epidemiology at Emory, adds at [01:49], “It's so exciting in the RSV world because for years we've been saying it's the most common cause of hospitalization. Now, though, the number of infant hospitalizations is on the decline.” The most notable reduction is observed in infants aged zero to two months ([02:06]).

Cost Implications
RSV hospitalizations impose a substantial financial burden, with Natasha Halasa highlighting at [02:19], “61% of infant hospitalizations for RSV are paid by Medicaid, collectively costing more than $350 million a year.” However, coverage for the new preventive measures remains limited, with only about two-thirds of eligible infants receiving them last year ([02:21]). Halasa suggests that increased coverage could lead to further reductions in both health and economic costs.

Long-Term Health Benefits
Beyond immediate hospitalizations, preventing severe RSV infections in infants also decreases the risk of developing chronic conditions like asthma later in life ([02:55]). This long-term perspective is supported by Donald Shepherd, a health economist at Brandeis University, who states at [03:07], “Vaccines are not only one of the best public health tools, but also one of the most cost-effective ones.”

Conclusion and Future Outlook
Shepherd draws parallels with historical vaccination successes, such as measles and polio, which have significantly reduced healthcare costs ([03:26]). He expresses optimism that RSV prevention could achieve similar outcomes, offering both economic and life-saving benefits.

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2. Financial Preparedness for Retirement: Tackling Debt Before It's Too Late

Growing Financial Distress Among Older Adults
At [05:13], Sabri Bennesour shifts focus to the financial challenges faced by individuals approaching retirement. Many in their late 40s to early 60s find themselves unprepared, burdened by insufficient savings and excessive debt. Chris Farrell, Marketplace’s senior economics contributor, leads this discussion.

Current State of Debt
Economic data presented by Donald Shepherd at [05:34] indicates rising financial distress across all adult age groups, particularly concerning auto loans and credit cards. Juan Sanchez from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis notes at [05:51], “You look at the delinquency rate on auto loans and on credit cards, you know it's similar to the average of the Great Recession.”

Demographics of Debt
Shepherd highlights that over half of adults aged 50 to 64 and 42% of those 65 to 74 carry credit card debt ([06:20]). Kerry Hannon, a personal finance journalist, points out the daunting nature of high-interest debt, stating at [06:45], “When we're thinking about credit card debt, we're talking about interest rates... it's pretty daunting to try to get out from under that.”

Strategies to Eliminate Debt Before Retirement
The episode outlines several strategies to manage and eliminate debt:

• Balance Transfer: Moving debts to lower-interest credit cards.
• Debt Consolidation: Combining multiple debts into a single, more manageable payment.
• Professional Counseling: Seeking assistance from nonprofit credit counselors.
• Avalanche Method: Prioritizing debts with the highest interest rates. Kerry Hannon explains at [07:47], “You go for the highest interest rate first. Knock that guy out of the way as quickly as you can...”
• Snowball Method: Focusing on paying off the smallest debts first to build momentum. Hannon adds at [07:56], “You start the little debt first... and you just start moving up from it.”

Personal Finance Planning
Shepherd advises that individuals create a comprehensive financial plan and household budget to prioritize debt repayment. Regardless of the chosen method—whether math-based avalanche or emotion-driven snowball—the key is consistent effort to become debt-free ([08:35]).

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Closing Remarks
Sabri Bennesour wraps up the episode by highlighting the importance of both public health advancements and personal financial planning in ensuring a secure future. Listeners are encouraged to implement the discussed strategies to benefit from these insights.

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Transcript

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[Sabri Bennesour]

How new ways to prevent RSV are saving lives and money From Marketplace I'm Sabri Bennesour, in for David Brancaccio. RSV is a respiratory virus that can be especially harmful to babies, and this past winter, a couple new ways of preventing it became widely available. They include a vaccine given in pregnancy to mothers and antibodies given to newborns. And the two together led to a major drop in RSV hospitalizations among infants. That is, according to a new CDC study. Daniel Ackerman looked into what it means for public health and for the healthcare economy.

[Natasha Halasa]

RSV researchers are pretty excited about how well the new interventions have worked. Natasha Halasa, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical center, calls it very, very good news.

[Angela Bankston]

This is like it's so exciting in the RSV world because for years we've been saying it's the most common cause of hospitalization.

[Natasha Halasa]

Now, though, the number of infant hospitalizations is on the decline, says Halasa, especially for the youngest patients, who often cost more to treat.

[Angela Bankston]

The highest reduction was in infants that were zero to two months.

[Natasha Halasa]

And keeping babies healthy is obviously a win for families. Angela Bankston, a professor of epidemiology at Emory, says it also is a win.

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For the American taxpayer.

[Natasha Halasa]

That's because 61% of infant hospitalizations for RSV are paid by Medicaid, collectively costing more than $350 million a year. And Bankston says the RSV interventions are still so new, only about two thirds of eligible infants got them last year.

[WhatsApp Advertiser]

Think of how much more we might be able to reduce if we increase coverage.

[Natasha Halasa]

Overall, there are some harder to measure costs of RSV that could be addressed too, says Natasha Halasa of Vanderbilt.

[Angela Bankston]

It's also important to think about the indirect effects right parents have to take off work.

[Natasha Halasa]

And she says infants who get severe RSV are at higher risk of developing asthma later on. All of this leads Donald Shepherd, a health economist at Brandeis University, to say.

[Donald Shepherd]

Vaccines are not only one of the best public health tools, but also one of the most cost effective ones.

[Natasha Halasa]

Shepard says RSV isn't a major cause of infant mortality in the US Due to strong health care. But he says the new prevention measures elsewhere in the world, besides being an.

[Donald Shepherd]

Important economic value, it's a life saving tool.

[Natasha Halasa]

Shepard says vaccines for things like measles and polio have almost eliminated healthcare costs associated with those diseases. He hopes RSV prevention could pay similar dividends. I'm Daniel ackerman for marketplace.

[Sabri Bennesour]

U.S. markets are closed today in honor of Memorial Day. They reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, 9:30am Wall street time.

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[Sabri Bennesour]

For many people in their late 40s to early 60s, there comes a moment when they realize they're financially unprepared for retirement. They haven't saved much and they're carrying too much debt. Tackling debt, especially credit card debt, then becomes a priority. In our series Buy Now, Pay Later. Senior economics contributor Chris Farrell has more.

[Donald Shepherd]

The signs of financial distress among adults of all ages is growing, especially when it comes to auto loans and credit cards. Economist Juan Sanchez at the Federal Reserve bank of St. Louis along with colleagues have documented increasing financial distress among borrowers.

[Juan Sanchez]

You look at the delinquency rate on auto loans and on credit cards, you know it's similar to the average of the Great Recession.

[Donald Shepherd]

Sanchez defines financial distress as individuals with an account that is 30 days or more past due. He ran the numbers and found similar results for the 65 + cohort. When it comes to credit cards and auto loans, I find that it's a.

[Juan Sanchez]

Bit surprising because other measures the Great Recession unemployment was really high. So now unemployment is not high.

[Donald Shepherd]

Little wonder so many people feel the need to reduce their debts, including older adults. A survey by AARP reports that more than half of those ages 50 to 64 and 42% of those 65 to 74 carry credit card debt. Black and Latino older adults are more likely to carry a monthly balance. Of course, it isn't easy to eliminate credit card debts.

[Kerry Hannon]

When we're thinking about credit card debt, we're talking about interest rates. When you revolve this interest month to month of around 20%. So it's pretty daunting to try to get out from under that.

[Donald Shepherd]

Kerry Hannon is a personal finance journalist and co author of Retirement A Gen X guide to securing your financial future. The oldest Gen Xers are 60 years old.

[Kerry Hannon]

It's something you need to be aware of that part of their financial planning is trying to grapple with. How do I get this debt paid down before I retire?

[Donald Shepherd]

What can you do to eliminate credit card debts before retirement? There are time tested strategies for those with some resources. Resources to tap, create a plan and build a household budget. Moving balances to a lower rate card can help. The same goes for consolidating debts. Reach out to a nonprofit credit counselor for help. Two popular techniques for eliminating credit card debts are the avalanche and the snowball. The avalanche is math. Kerry Hannon.

[Kerry Hannon]

You go for the highest interest rate first. Knock that guy out of the way as quickly as you can and then work your way down.

[Donald Shepherd]

List all your credit card debts from the highest rate to the lowest. Make minimum payments on all cards except the highest rate 1. Put extra money toward paying it down. Once it's paid off. Move to the next highest rate debt. Repeat until you're no longer carrying any balances. The snowball method is different. Snowball taps into the power of emotions rather than the logic of finance.

[Kerry Hannon]

You start the little debt first, okay. And you say, oh my gosh, I did it. Yay. Pat me on the back. And you just start moving up from it. Gather steam as you get confidence and you start seeing your debts slide away because you've started with the smaller debts.

[Donald Shepherd]

First, order your balances from the smallest to the largest. Make minimum payments on all debts except the smallest balance. Focus your extra cash on the smallest debt. Once it's paid off, go to the next smallest, and so on until you're debt free. Math or emotion? Pick the method that works for you. Either way, you'll come out ahead. I'm Chris Ferrell for Marketplace.

[Sabri Bennesour]

Our Buy Now, Pay later project is in partnership with Next Avenue, a nonprofit news platform for older adults. Produced by Twin Cities PBS in New York. I'm Sabri Benishore with the Marketplace Morning.

[Donald Shepherd]

Report.

[Sabri Bennesour]

From apm, American Public Media.

[Natasha Halasa]

The Internet is a dumpster fire, and.

[Sabri Bennesour]

We are dumpster diving.

[Natasha Halasa]

Mmm.

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Ice is so good.

[Natasha Halasa]

It's almost like watching a slap fight between a bunch of nerds.

[Sabri Bennesour]

I have to give you credit for being dogged with this boy.

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How often do you think about the Roman Empire?

[Kerry Hannon]

Sorry, what?

[Sabri Bennesour]

I was just thinking about something.

[Natasha Halasa]

Unsolved Mysteries, Untold Histories.

[Sabri Bennesour]

Every Friday on our podcast, Endless Thread.

[Natasha Halasa]

So go wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sabri Bennesour]

And follow Endless Thread.